Unity Of The Church

"Why are there quarrels and ill will and dissensions and schism and fighting among you? Do we not have one God and one Christ, and one Spirit of grace poured out upon us? And is there not one calling in Christ? Why do we wrench and tear apart the members of Christ, and revolt against our own body, and reach such folly as to forget that we are members of one another?" St. Clement Of Rome ("First Epistle To The Corinthians," c. 96 A.D.)

"He, therefore, who does not assemble with the Church, has even by this displayed his pride, and he has condemned himself." St. Ignatius of Antioch ("Epistle to the Ephesians." c. 105 A.D.)

"Although dispersed throughout the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, the Church has received this faith from the apostles and their disciples.... The Church received this preaching and this faith. Although she is scattered throughout the whole world, yet, she carefully preserves it, as if she occupied only one house. She also believes these points just as if she had only one soul, and one and the same heart. She proclaims these things, teaches them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if she possessed only one mouth. For although the languages of the world are different, yet the significance of the tradition is one and the same. For the churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand down anything different. Neither do those in Spain, Gaul, the East, Egypt, Libya, or in the central regions of the world." St. Irenaeus ("Against All Heresies," c. 180 A.D.)

"Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom will we go?'... Peter, on whom the Church was to be built...taught and showed in the name of the Church that a rebellious and arrogant multitude may depart from the Church. I speak of those who will not hear and obey. However, the Church does not depart from Christ. And the Church consists of those who are a people united to the priest. It is the flock that adhere to its pastor. Therefore, you should know that the bishop is in the Church and the Church is in the bishop. If anyone is not with the bishop, he is not in the Church.... The Church is Catholic and is one. It is not cut or divided. Rather it is connected and bound together by the cement of priests who cohere with one another." St. Cyprian of Carthage ("The Unity of the Catholic Church," c. 250 A.D.)

"For this has been the source from which heresies and schism have arisen, that God's priest is not obeyed, nor do people reflect that there is for the time one priest in the Church, who for the time is judge instead of Christ, and if the whole brotherhood would obey him, according to divine teaching, no one would stir up anything against the college of priests...." St. Cyprian of Carthage ("Letters," c. 252 A.D.)

"Secede not from the Church: for nothing is stronger than the Church. Thy hope is the Church; thy salvation is the Church; thy refuge is the Church. It is higher than the heavens and wider than the earth. It never grows old, but is ever full of vigor. Wherefore Holy Writ pointing to its strength and stability calls it a mountain." St. John Chrysostom ("Homilies on Eutropius," c. 399 A.D.)

"I say and protest that it is as wrong to divide the Church as to fall into heresy." St. John Chrysostom ("Homilies on Ephesians," c. 4th century)

"Whosoever shall have separated himself from the Catholic Church, no matter how praiseworthy such a person may fancy his life has been, yet for that one crime of having cut himself off from the unity of Christ he shall not have eternal life, but the wrath of God shall abide with him for ever." St. Augustine of Hippo ("Letter 141," c. early 5th century

selfactivated

#2

Re: Unity Of The Church

Dec 4th, 2006

Quote:

"Whosoever shall have separated himself from the Catholic Church, no matter how praiseworthy such a person may fancy his life has been, yet for that one crime of having cut himself off from the unity of Christ he shall not have eternal life, but the wrath of God shall abide with him for ever." St. Augustine of Hippo ("Letter 141," c. early 5th century

The church is a joke! Who the hell is ANYBODY to tell me Im going to hell???? Bunch of hypocrites that ruin peoples lives. My son DIED because jerks that believed I was an unfit mother because I was Pagan renigged on a plane ticket to get me to Texas! Great christians eh? Real nice people that followed your church laws. Yup. My Baby would be alive cause I would have been there and it wouldnt have happened! KEEP your church......their the biggest set of liars I know. Id rather die and go to hell than follow the chatholic church ever again.

Ive story after story of how this church ruins peoples lives but Im sure yall are sick of hearing about my past. The now is what keeps me alive, living one second at a time. Knowing that I can believe in US (universal spirit) and that in so believing I totally believe in the one church that counts...........me.

thecdn

#3

Re: Unity Of The Church

Dec 5th, 2006

Why would you expect any kind of unity among man made institutions that are made up fairy tales? When anyone can re-interpret something and create a new religion or branch of an existing one, of course there will be many.

CDNBear

#4

Re: Unity Of The Church

Dec 5th, 2006

"Why are there quarrels and ill will and dissensions and schism and fighting among you? Do we not have one God and one Christ, and one Spirit of grace poured out upon us? And is there not one calling in Christ? Why do we wrench and tear apart the members of Christ, and revolt against our own body, and reach such folly as to forget that we are members of one another?" St. Clement Of Rome ("First Epistle To The Corinthians," c. 96 A.D.)

Because your followers have told us there is but one true church, the Catholic church. It started a war by titling itself in such a matter as to negate the beauty of all churches, the passions of all men and women. It has stifled the voices of tens of thousands and call all those that belive in your words, but do not subscribe to their ways, sinners.

So how can we stop quarreling if "The One True Church" wishes us to be cast to the depths of hell, lest we join in their hymns?

"He, therefore, who does not assemble with the Church, has even by this displayed his pride, and he has condemned himself." St. Ignatius of Antioch ("Epistle to the Ephesians." c. 105 A.D.)

No he hasn't, he has seen the truth, and followed his heart. Which led him to a place of worship deeper and more beautiful then that of the "One True Church". The temple within himself.

There he prays for all, sees all the workings of The Great Spirit, respects the words as they were written, not how they were translated, sees the faliblity in you oh Great Spirit and accepts the same in man, because we were created in your image, he sees that there is no "One True Religion", you gave birth to them all, to appease the differneces of man, he sees the truth in the Great Spirit and therefore is the embodiment of the true unity of the church, an exceptance of all and none in the same.